Community Partnerships: Review of Selected Models and Evaluation of Two Case Studies

Risks for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are established early in life with behavior patterns associated with diet and physical activity. Establishing healthy behavior patterns among children, and providing the environmental supports necessary to maintain them, has the potential to reduce future risks for chronic diseases. This paper reviews the literature on collaborative partnerships formed to address similar issues.The authors describe the evaluation of school and community partnerships facilitated by the Kansas LEAN School Intervention Project, which had the mission of reducing risks for chronic diseases, including CVDs and some cancers, among children. A multiple case study design was used with collaborative partnerships in two communities in Kansas.The results suggest that the partnerships facilitated important changes in the schools and communities. We discuss challenges and opportunities in the evaluation of school and community partnerships for health.